Is this the UK's worst parent? Woman leaves child on her own outside betting shop tied to reins as she goes in to place a bet

A mother leaves her young daughter tethered all alone on the other side of a door outside a betting shop on a busy street before going in to place a bet. This was the shocking scene in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, was captured by office workers who couldn't believe their eyes yesterday afternoon. They saw the curly-haired girl, aged around four, being left tied by her reins outside a branch of Ladbrokes opposite their place of work for two to three minutes before a woman, believed to be her mother, came out.

Left outside: Pictures show the girl on her own by the door of the betting shop in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, as the mother places a bet

The woman had fed the reins underneath the door and gone in, still attached to the child who would not be allowed in because she's under 18. On her way out she untangled the girl and carried on her way as if leaving a young child on her own in a busy street as cars drove by was normal. In a video taken of the incident from the window of a building across the road, one of the insurance company workers exclaims: 'She's like a dog, oh my god she's like a dog!'

The woman, who has not been named, wore a light brown coat, black trousers and was carrying a black bag over her shoulders. Her child was dressed in a white raincoat. Describing what happened afterwards, witness Ollie Brough told MailOnline: 'I noticed the mother bending down to the bottom of the door with a cord out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought the child was just caught, but then she went in and left her and I couldn't believe it. I wanted to see how long she would leave her and it was about two or three minutes.'

 

Office workers from across the road witnessed what happened and took pictures of the incident. The woman to the left of the child and the man are passers by

The IT technician, 30, added: 'By then everyone in the office was watching and they were just as shocked as I was. 'We took pictures and a video and in the clip you can just about see the harness on the little girl. The other end is attached to the mother's wrist who looped the slack line under the door and closed it! Leaving the poor girl harnessed outside, the little girl got bored and started tugging at the loose line but to avail, it's the worst parenting I think I have ever seen!

'The "mum" did eventually come out and carried on with her "busy" day.' 

 Source: Daily Mail UK

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